Loon Preservation Committee Month at a Glance

October 2021

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LPC News & Events

Change in Hours!

Interested in visiting the Loon Center? Please note that after Columbus Day (Monday, October 11th 2021), we will resume our winter operating schedule. Through the winter, the Loon Center will be open Thursday—Saturday from 9AM–5 PM, with one exception: we will be closed on Saturday, October 16th for a special event.

Presentation: Our Favorite Loon Stories by Daniel and Virginia Poleschook

In this presentation on October 21st at 7 PM EST, Daniel Poleschook, Jr. and Virginia R. Poleschook, a husband-and wife team who have studied Common Loons in the Pacific Northwest for 26 years, will recount their favorite loon stories. They will discuss many of the behaviors and events that they have documented over the years, including: territorial and other social interactions between loons, instances that demonstrate loons' high intelligence, tales of loon migration in western North America, and many other stories that reveal amazing characteristics of loons. This talk will be live streamed on LPC's YouTube channel. For a biography of the presenters and more information about the presentation, please click here.

Photo courtesy of Virginia R. Poleschook and Daniel Poleschook, Jr.

Lake Jocassee Loonwatch Winter Research

For the past three years, researchers have studied loons wintering on South Carolina's Lake Jocassee. Their project is the first to focus on the health and behavior of loons that winter on fresh water. This year, the research project will be lead by Dr. Jay Mager, a great friend of LPC. To learn more about the project, including opportunities for volunteer involvement, please click here.

We'll Buy Your Lead Tackle!

October is a double voucher month! This month, when you participate in our Lead Tackle buyback program (by turning in one ounce or more of illegal lead fishing tackle at a participating retail location) you will receive $20 in vouchers to that shop! Help make a difference for loons— visit loonsafe.org for a list of participating retailers and other program details.

Photo courtesy of Ray Hennessy.

Loon Presentations

LPC's work includes educating members of the public about loons, the threats that they face, and the ways that we can help them to succeed. If you are part of a Lake Association or other club that is interested in a presentation from LPC, please fill out our online Presentation Request Form or send us an email at [email protected].

LPC at Work

Though the peak summer season ends in August, the work doesn't stop for us here at LPC! The month of September brought with it the usual tasks: extensively reviewing the data collected during the summer season, preparing samples to be sent to our research collaborators, giving presentations about loons for lake associations and other interested groups, and pulling our rafts and signs off of the lakes and storing them for the winter. Many thanks to the volunteers who have helped us with these tasks!

LPC Squam Lake Biologist, Tiffany Grade, brings a raft to shore for winter storage.

In September, we also continued to receive and respond to reports of loons in distress as well as deceased loons. We sincerely thank the LPC volunteers and members of the public who alerted us to these loons—rescues give injured loons a fighting chance to recover, and

every dead loon that we collect and are able to necropsy adds to our understanding of the issues affecting our loon population at a larger scale. If you see a dead loon or a loon in distress on your lake, please call us at (603)476-5666. To report loons in distress outside of the Loon Center's hours of operation, you can use our online form.

Winnipesaukee Biologist, Griffin Archambault, holds a juvenile loon that was rescued from Ogontz Lake after it began beaching itself repeatedly in early September.

LPC Senior Biologist, John Cooley, and Winnipesaukee Biologist, Griffin Archambault, examine and work to free a loon that became tangled in fishing line on Great East Lake in September.

LPC Senior Biologist, John Cooley, takes measurements during a late-September necropsy of a loon collected on Franklin Pierce Lake. Many thanks to volunteers Nancy and Tim Cone, who worked tirelessly to locate this loon after hearing reports from neighbors that one had died on the lake.

Loon Fact of the Month

Over the past several weeks, you may have noticed your loon chicks exercising their wings. On windy days, starting when they are about 8 weeks old, loon chicks will begin to orient themselves into the wind and attempt to take off. This practice helps to develop their muscles, in preparation for their first ever winter migration. Their first attempts are often clumsy and awkward, and it's not uncommon to see a loon chick manage a partial takeoff before tumbling back down into the water. Eventually, though, their hard work is rewarded and they achieve true liftoff.

We've already begun to receive reports of juvenile loons showing up on lakes or ponds in New Hampshire that did not hatch chicks (or where the chicks that hatched did not survive), indicating that some of our state's juvenile loons have already mastered flight and are on the move! Don't be worried if your loon chick has not yet made its first flight— they have plenty of time before ice-in.

"Look at me, mom!" An adult loon looks on as its chick practices takeoff. Photo courtesy of Brian Reilly.

Due to their high wing loading (the amount of weight supported by each square inch of wing), all loons look a bit ungainly when they take off. This is especially true of juveniles who are new to flying! Photo courtesy of Brian Reilly.

As they run across the surface of the water, flapping all the while, loons eventually build up enough momentum to take off. This juvenile is almost there! Photo courtesy of Brian Reilly.

Liftoff achieved! Photo courtesy of Brian Reilly.

Success! After lots of practice, juvenile loons muscles become strong enough to not only achieve liftoff, but also to sustain flight. Photo courtesy of Brian Reilly.

Item of the Month

This October, the Waterbirds Scramble Squares puzzle is on sale in our online store! Sharpen your mind with this challenging 12" x 12" puzzle, in which the images on the squares' edges must be matched up to form a large square and complete picture. Get yours here!

Take a chance for New Hampshire's loons!

To purchase tickets for our 2021 Benefit Raffle, please call us at (603)476-5666, email [email protected], or stop in at the Loon Center!

Loon Preservation Committee | 603-476-LOON (5666) | www.loon.org

The Loon Preservation Committee is dedicated to restoring and maintaining a healthy population of loons throughout New Hampshire; monitoring the health and productivity of loon populations as sentinels of environmental quality; and promoting a greater understanding of loons and the natural world.